Chapter 26 - Confrontation

            Back at the Vaziri's house, Heliodor decided to use a healing crystal on Kunzite, and to perhaps answer a few questions concerning the reason he was left behind. He had plenty of opportunity to go after them but for Jadeite, who blankly held him back, encasing him in a giant block of ice. Heliodor could only helplessly watch as Jadeite went after Juliana and closed the portal. Heliodor then used a spell Emily taught him and melted the crystal away. The dining room was a wet mess afterwards, but Heliodor was safe - and warming up.

            "And that's how I was left behind."

            "Perhaps she sensed the good in your heart and rejected you. But what about your mother?"

            Suddenly, a portal opened up out of the ceiling and Queen Beryl fell out. Endymion, Kunzite and Heliodor caught her. She was devastated.

            "Oh Endymion, I have done a terrible deed, and it is now catching up to me."

            "My goodness, Beryl, what's going on?"

            "All of the known children are being absorbed into Metallia's body. I've been dethroned." With that, she fainted, and blood came from her mouth.

            Kunzite laid her out gently on the table. He then ordered Heliodor get all the healing crystals he stole and placed them around her.

            "She has massive internal injuries. It's not clear as to whether she'll survive, unless we can encase her in beryl rocks."

            Mr. Vaziri said, "Transport me to the jewelry store. I know where some beryl is." Kunzite and Mr. Vaziri went.

            Mrs. Vaziri appeared with some emerald jewelry, some red bixbite, and a heliodor necklace. She placed them on her, but Heliodor instructed to put them beside her, touching her body and each other.

            Heliodor said, "I have an idea." He pulled out a pocket knife and sliced his palm.

            Mrs. Vaziri screamed and pulled the knife from him. Mr. Vaziri and Kunzite came back, with the beryl stones displayed in the case. They placed them, touching on one side of Beryl's body. Mr. Vaziri calmed his wife.

            "Don't worry, my dear, that is healing. We need to get that knife back."

            Heliodor got the knife back, lay on the other side of his mother, took the knife and slit her palm. He then placed her wounded hand in his, and his good hand touching the stones.

            In a few minutes, Beryl gasped for air and rose. Her hand healed, as did her son's.

            "What happened? Where am I?"

            Kunzite began to explain. "You're at the house of the Vaziris, that good couple who took my daughter in. Why don't you rest a bit while we go and rescue all the rest?"

            "I'm going with you."

            "You're not well."

            "You need me to fight!"

            "Mother, I am just as good with our powers as you. We'll be fine. Lava Lamp's got another thing coming."

            Usagi transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon, and produced the famed Ginzuishou. "Will you need this?"

            "No," replied Kunzite. "This is strictly our own business."

            "I don't see that doing well."

            Kunzite and Heliodor ignored them and went into a portal, going straight into the Dark Kingdom.

*****

            Meanwhile, the girls and their fathers were obediently being planted on the flat sides of a series of gravitated pillars, with no recourse. Metallia then began to glow and shine out of her giant orange cloud, and began to radiate into the heads and hearts of the seven there.

            "I have chosen my warriors. My spirit and your bodies will be one, and together we will be complete."

            Emily broke free of her possession first. The strength of her spirit could not be denied.

            "I will never serve you! You are not my ruler!"

            Metallia sent an extra shock wave toward Emily, which made her scream. The scream broke the possession Metallia had on the fathers.

            Each of the fathers denounced Metallia, who in turn silenced them.

            The daughters gradually broke away, each of them denouncing alliance with the demon trying to possess them.

            Soon, Kunzite and Heliodor arrived. They were both ready to fight.

            Heliodor shot electric bolts first. Metallia deflected them by a magic shield and sent the bolts back to Heliodor and Kunzite.

            Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity arrived, holding the Ginzuishou up to Metallia. It was no use. Metallia held the bodies of the ones to possess as human shields.

            Heliodor received a bolt, this time from Metallia. Another one knocked Kunzite out of his senses. In this, Heliodor found a realization: renouncing Metallia would require the strength of more than the Ginzishou. It would require the precise alignment of all the powers of the people she was trying to possess, and opening her up to a weak spot on her head shields, which spun around her head fast for her protection.

            It was hopeless. Emily was gone, the only woman he had loved. All his known family would die, too.

            Suddenly, a voice was heard that nobody expected.

            "Metallia!" screamed Queen Beryl, with a giant bolt large enough to fry the human body to a crisp.

            Metallia immediately fired it back, stopping the head shields long enough for everybody to strike. Heliodor unleashed electricity, those captured fired the powers back, the Ginzuishou's power released, and Lord Kunzite fired his flying swords, all straight to Metallia's weak spot in her head, between the shields.

            There was an explosion, and fire, and ice, and debris, and bloodshed.